Dear friends and colleagues,
As you might know, an eviction took place in Dey Krahorm (DK) at 6:00 AM on Saturday January 24, 2008 after approximately 250 mixed police including military police blocked entry/exist to/from DK starting at approximately 2:00 AM.
By 4:30 AM, more than five hundred 7 NG company workers wearing red, blue and green t shirts were trucked in near the entrance and back of DK. At 6:00 AM, military police armed with electrical batons, steel batons, wooden sticks, tear gas and guns moved towards the remaining DK families, most who own their land and some who rented houses, to the front, sides and back of DK.
Tear gas, sticks, water trucks and arms shooting rubber bullets were used against communities, media, foreign volunteers and NGO workers on site. This was followed by exactors and tractors that were used to destroy the houses along with company workers. Approximately 38 DK families are living in our offices, 213 DK villagers and relatives are also coming for meals, medical care, legal advice, photocopies and material assistance since Saturday. Hundreds of others, many of them who were DK renters, were dumped shortly after the eviction along the road to the new site or on the new "resettlement site" 16 km from PP at Damnak Trayoeng, Chum Chao, Dangkao district.
Humanitarian NGOs and several LICADHO staff have gone to see the new site, the houses are unfinished, there are no roofs, toilets or kitchens. The site has no basic infrastructure, lacks drinking water and no schools, health clinics or markets are nearby. Only about 27 families have been able to acquire houses.
The DK families living in our offices are attempting to continue negotiating with the municipality and 7NG company to obtain adequate compensation as they do not want to move to the new "resettlement site". There have also been groups coming in during the weekend that are sleeping on the streets of PP.
Please find attached slideshow of images for your information, other images, videos and information are available http://blip.tv/file/1703016/ [www.licadhocanada.blip.tv], http://hub.witness.org/en/node/11909, http://johnvink.com/story.php?title=Cambodia_Quest_for_Land_Dey_Krohom, http://ka-set.info/actualites/k7-media.html, http://cambodia.ka-set.info/k7-media/, http://picasaweb.google.com/peaceandjustice.cambodia/TimelineOfAForcedEviction#
and http://licadho-cambodia.org/album/view_photo.php?cat=43
Please also note media statement from NGOs below.
Thanks,
Naly
Naly Pilorge
Director of LICADHO
012 803 650
Saturday 24 January, 2009
JOINT PRESS RELEASE
CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS STRONGLY CONDEMN ILLEGAL EVICTION OF DEY KRAHORM
Phnom Penh, CAMBODIA
We strongly condemn the forced eviction of Dey
Krahorm residents which began at 6 a.m. on Saturday 24 January, 2009.
This was carried out by over 300 police officers and up to 500 breakers
hired by the private company 7NG. It is yet another example of the
violent evictions taking place across Cambodia which are in danger of
destabilizing the country.
Today's eviction was marked by excessive use of force endangering the
lives of Dey Krahorm residents, and resulting in over 18 injuries ‐ 5 of
which were serious. It also saw the systematic destruction of private
property, while the police and breakers hired by 7NG blocked attempts
by human rights observers and the press to monitor and report on the
event.
Further, the Dey Krahorm forced eviction resulted from an improper
land transaction between so‐called "community representatives" and
7NG. The forced eviction therefore had no proper or clear legal basis,
and has violated the possession rights of Dey Krahorm residents which
are guaranteed by the Constitution of Cambodia and Land Law 2001.
We urge the government to ensure that:
* affected families are given immediate humanitarian assistance,
including adequate food, water, shelter, sanitation, and medical
care;
* affected families are given just and fair compensation for the loss
of their property;
the illegal activities surrounding the eviction are properly
investigated and those responsible are held accountable;
*and
the trend of aggressive private interests overriding human rights
is immediately stopped.
Housing Rights Task Force (HRTF); ADHOC;
LICADHO;
CCHR;
CLEC;
Bridges Across Borders South East Asia (BABSEA); and
Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE)
